Robert Duke Osborn (February 1, 1897 – November 2, 1976) was an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who played with the

Canton Bulldogs The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and the American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football Lea ...

during the team's

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

Championship series years in the 1920s.

Biography

After high school, Osborn attended

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

. Osborn made his professional debut in the

(NFL) in 1921 with the

. He would go to help the Bulldogs win back-to-back NFL Championships in 1922 and 1923. During the course of his career, Osborn also played for the

Cleveland Bulldogs The Cleveland Bulldogs were a team that played in Cleveland, Ohio in the National Football League. They were originally called the Indians in 1923, not to be confused with the Cleveland Indians NFL franchise in 1922. However, after team owner ...

and

Pottsville Maroons The Pottsville Maroons were an American football team based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, in the northeastern part of the state. Founded in 1920, they played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1925 to 1928. In 1929 they relocated to Bost ...

. He spent a total of 8 years in the NFL. Osborn also became part owner of the Maroons in 1928, when team's owner, Dr. John G. Streigel, "loaned" the team to three players Wilbur "Pete" Henry,

Herb Stein Herbert Alfred Stein (March 27, 1898 – October 25, 1980) was an American football player. He later made his professional debut in the National Football League (NFL) in 1922 with the Buffalo All-Americans. He played for Buffalo, Toledo Maro ...

and Osborn. However, after the season Streigel, who probably still had majority ownership, sold the team to a New England–based partnership that included Maroons' standout

George Kenneally George Vincent "Gigi" Kenneally, Sr (April 12, 1902 – September 3, 1968) was an American football end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pottsville Maroons, the Boston Bulldogs, the Chicago Cardinals, the Boston Braves, and th ...

. After his career in football Osborn became a general superintendent for Oldsmobile's assembly division.

References

External links

The Stolen Championship of the Pottsville Maroons

{{DEFAULTSORT:Osborn, Duke 1897 births 1976 deaths Players of American football from Pennsylvania Canton Bulldogs players Cleveland Bulldogs players Penn State Nittany Lions football players Sportspeople from Clearfield County, Pennsylvania People from Jefferson County, Pennsylvania Pottsville Maroons players